Evaluating the Effectiveness of the School-Based Sustainable Innovation for Children Transporting Actively Intervention: Protocol for an Age-Cohort Study.
Forsberg H, Lindqvist A, et al. • JMIR research protocols • 2026
This paper presents a study protocol for an age-cohort design to evaluate the effectiveness of the Sustainable Innovation for Children Transporting Actively (SICTA) intervention, a 4-week school-based gamified program aimed at increasing active school transportation in children in grades 4 to 6 in a Swedish municipality.
Key Findings
Background
Few children achieve recommended daily levels of physical activity, and active school transportation (AST) is identified as a valuable opportunity to increase children's physical activity.
The paper identifies a decline in physical activity among children that early childhood AST initiatives have the potential to reverse.
AST is framed as a practical, recurring opportunity to integrate physical activity into daily routines.
The authors position school-based interventions as important vehicles for promoting AST.
Methods
The SICTA intervention is a 4-week school-based program that incorporates gamification elements to enhance motivation and increase AST in children.
The intervention involves children, parents (as gatekeepers), and teachers (as deliverers).
Gamification elements are specifically included to enhance motivation for active transportation.
The intervention is implemented in late fall 2025 in one municipality in the southern part of Sweden.
All children, parents, and teachers in grades 4 to 6 across all schools in the municipality are invited to participate.
Methods
The study uses an age-cohort design in which students at baseline are compared with students of the same age from the same schools one year later after receiving the intervention.
Baseline data collection is conducted in late fall 2024 and follow-up data collection in late fall 2025.
The design avoids a traditional control group by comparing same-age cohorts from the same schools across time.
Questionnaires are used at both baseline and follow-up to measure outcomes.
The project is funded for the period 2024-2026, and follow-up data collection is described as ongoing.
Methods
The study will examine multiple outcomes including children's AST levels, independent mobility, and psychosocial determinants in both children and parents.
Psychosocial mediators are grounded in the theory of planned behavior, the transtheoretical model of change, and self-determination theory.
Children's independent mobility is included as a distinct outcome measure.
Parent-level mediators related to AST will also be assessed via questionnaire.
Outcomes are predefined and include changes in AST, independent mobility, psychosocial determinants, sustainability outcomes, and feasibility.
Methods
The intervention will be evaluated from a sustainability perspective using the sustainable value equation.
The sustainable value equation is the specific framework chosen to assess sustainability of the intervention.
Sustainability is listed as one of the predefined outcome categories alongside AST and psychosocial determinants.
This sustainability evaluation is intended to facilitate knowledge dissemination among end users and policymakers.
Methods
Feasibility of the SICTA intervention will be assessed through a teacher questionnaire administered at follow-up.
Data collection at follow-up includes a specific questionnaire directed at teachers.
The teacher questionnaire is designed to assess the feasibility of delivering the intervention.
Feasibility is listed as one of the predefined outcomes to be reported.
Methods
The study is registered in the Swedish National Research Database Researchweb.org under identifier 283668.
The protocol is identified with reference DERR1-10.2196/92946.
What This Means
This paper describes the design and protocol for a study testing a school-based program called SICTA (Sustainable Innovation for Children Transporting Actively), which aims to get more children to walk or cycle to school. The 4-week program uses game-like elements to motivate children in grades 4 through 6 in a Swedish municipality, and involves not just the children but also their parents and teachers. Rather than comparing a group that receives the program to one that does not, the study compares children of the same age from the same schools before the program is introduced (fall 2024) to children of the same age after the program has run (fall 2025).
The research will measure whether the program changes how children get to school, how independently children are allowed to travel, and what attitudes and beliefs children and parents hold about active transportation. It will also look at whether the program is practical and sustainable to run, using a specific framework called the sustainable value equation and gathering feedback from teachers. These multiple layers of evaluation are intended to give a comprehensive picture of whether and how the intervention works.
This research suggests that school-based programs with game elements and involvement of both families and teachers could be a practical way to increase the number of children who walk or bike to school, which in turn could help address low physical activity levels among children. The findings are intended to inform schools, health practitioners, and policymakers about effective strategies for promoting active transportation in early childhood.
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Forsberg H, Lindqvist A, Rutberg S, Chillón P, Sjöberg V, Palstam A. (2026). Evaluating the Effectiveness of the School-Based Sustainable Innovation for Children Transporting Actively Intervention: Protocol for an Age-Cohort Study.. JMIR research protocols. https://doi.org/10.2196/92946